Tonight I was joined at Dizzy's Club, Coca-Cola, by
Marco Losavio, Director, JazzItalia.net, who happened to be in town on
business. This was an opportunity for Marco to see Jazz at Lincoln Center,
as his renowned online jazz magazine features so many artists, who appear in this
elegant venue. JazzItalia.net also publishes a selection of my jazz reviews, translated
into Italian for bilingual reading.

Tonight's artists in the Clayton Brothers Quintet were John Clayton
on bass, his brother, Jeff Clayton, on alto saxophone, his son, Gerald
Clayton, on piano, Terrell Stafford on trumpet, and Obed Calvaire,
a Clayton protégée, on drums. Not only did this quintet perform with exceptional
quality and versatility, but John and Jeff spoke with warmth and humor to the packed
second set audience, relating personal and jazz family anecdotes. The set opened
with a blast of brass, featuring Jeff, John, and Gerald, a family affair, in a soaring
swing, with Obed coming in for steady percussion. Soon Terrell took a rousing riff,
before Gerald interpreted the theme in superb harmony.

In the next piece, Terrell went wild, with each note drawing audience approval,
while the piano produced driven keyboard chords. John picked up the theme on bass,
and Obed joined in on brushes and sticks for syncopated fantasy. The brass duo,
Terrell and Jeff, added sparkling musical clarity in the full quintet. Next in the
lineup was Kenny Burrell's "Bass Face".
Terrell muted his trumpet as bass, brushes, and the softest piano combined for a
bluesy, melancholy showcase of John Clayton's extraordinary talent. The music
wafted like a distant train with a whispering chug.

An original samba followed, sharp, decisive, and very Rio, with drums, sax,
and Terrell hurling musically off the scale. This lightning round merged into Gerald's
steady keyboard echoes. Gerald delivered a danceable riff, and the samba was a huge
success. Next, Gerald was invited to play his piano composition, "Sunny
Day Go", with John on proud bass, and Obed on soft brushes. Gerald's
melody was lyrical and expansive, with poignancy beyond his years. John Clayton's
"That Night" opened with a piano solo and John
taking his bass bow for musical texture.

Jeff Clayton introduced "The Jones Brothers",
his composition for Hank, Thad, and Elvin. Terrell was showcased in a well deserved
spotlight, as he's one of the finest trumpet players around, consistently charismatic
and powerful. Gerald added a poetic passage, and the set closed with class. Check
the Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Website for future dates and artists.